Forrester aims to build CX Cloud, buys FeedbackNow, Glimpzlt

Glimpzlt will be used along with Forrester's analytics engine in the CX Cloud.

Forrester said it has acquired two companies--feedback now and Glimpzlt--in a bid to create a real-time customer experience cloud.

The company, best known as a research firm, has been heavily focused on monitoring and improving customer experience, or CX. FeedbackNow makes physical buttons and monitoring software to measure and analyze CX. Glimpzlt is an artificial intelligence and machine learning company.

According to Forrester, the plan is to combine the acquired companies with its own effort to build what it calls a CX Cloud. This CX Cloud will include instant customer feedback from devices, social, apps, mobile and Web, tools to analyze the feedback and deploy tweaks.

FeedbackNow is best known for its feedback boxes with smiley faces to gauge customer satisfaction. FeedbackNow's boxes are well established in Europe and collect more than 200,000 pieces of feedback a day. FeedbackNow boxes can be deployed in retail, transportation, workplaces, hospitals and anywhere satisfaction can be measured.

Here's a look at how FeedbackNow hardware is typically deployed.

George Colony, CEO of Forrester said the bet on CX is timely since it "can be a powerful and operational weapon."